Baby changing system with protective walls

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a baby changing system with a protective wall to be used while changing a baby&#39;s diaper. The baby changing system consists of a baby changing mat and at least one protective wall. The protective wall is designed to restrict the baby from touching surfaces external to the baby changing system during use.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to a travel baby changing system to be used while changing a baby's diaper. The travel baby changing system consists of a baby changing mat and at least one protective wall. The protective wall is designed to restrict the baby from touching external surfaces during a diaper change.

BACKGROUND

There is a wide variety of baby changing mats on the market today. These mats are offered in various sizes and shapes, with pockets and without pockets and for traveling or for home use. More specifically, the traditional baby changing mats that are designed for travel have pockets and are generally more compact.

While traveling or away from the home there are several choices available for changing a baby's garments. Changing stations attached to the wall in restrooms as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,574,999, 6,049,928, 6055,688 and 6.859,966 all issued to Helmsderfer, provide a secured surface for changing a baby yet they are often dirty or surrounded by dirty walls and surfaces that are contaminated by viruses and bacteria. Also, babies often want to touch, feel, and taste objects and surfaces around them such as dirty walls of public restrooms that are contaminated by human waste, viruses, and bacteria. Even more problematic is when a baby touches the surfaces around the baby changing station in a public restroom and then inserts the same hand into their mouth or rubs their eyes before a parent can wash the baby's hands. Considering the early stages of a baby's developing immune system viruses and bacteria cause a greater risk to the baby's health and well-being. These stations that are attached to the wall do not restrict the baby from touching dirty walls and surfaces that are contaminated by viruses and bacteria.

There are many travel changing mats that provide a protective surface for a baby to lie on and are also compact. An example of a foldable baby changing pad is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,520,010 issued to Welch. Although these baby changing pads are portable, they do not restrict the baby from touching dirty walls and surfaces that are contaminated by viruses and bacteria when the baby is being changed. Nor is it reasonable to require the wiping down of the walls and surfaces each time a baby's garments need to be changed.

SUMMARY

The deficiencies of the prior art are substantially overcome in consideration of the invention disclosed herein.

The ability to configure the baby changing system with protective walls is a particularly innovative aspect of the present invention. The two preferred configurations include the deployed configuration and the travel configuration. The deployed configuration is the configuration of the baby changing system with protective walls that is used when changing a baby. In this configuration the baby changing system with protective walls consists of a mat and preferably two protective walls which are removably and perpendicularly attached to the mat to restrict the baby's ability to reach beyond the mat. The protective walls are made of a washable, antimicrobial that may also be water resistant. The travel configuration is when the baby changing system with protective walls is collapsed and compacted in a configuration for traveling where the protective walls are compacted and placed within a travel bag.

Another particularly important aspect of the baby changing system of the present invention is realized in another embodiment of the baby changing system where the protective wall is attached to the baby changing system such that the protective wall is designed to remain attached to the baby changing system such that when the system is deployed the protective wall automatically also deploys. This is accomplished by using rigid materials for example polypropylene sheets or providing flexible wires within the protective walls such that they may fold when desired while also providing rigidity.

Another innovative aspect of the present invention is realized while providing at least one protective wall and a support base to restrict the baby from touching surrounding surfaces. In this embodiment the at least one protective wall may or may not be attached to the support base but is separately attached to an external service via an adhesive or suction cups.

DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings that form a part of the specification and that are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of the baby changing system of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an additional illustration of the baby changing system of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an illustration of the baby changing system in travel configuration of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an additional illustration of the baby changing system of the present invention with fixed walls;

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a tote for carrying the baby changing system.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of the baby changing system of the present invention.

DETAIL SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features.

The overall purpose of the baby changing system with protective walls described herein is to provide a portable and protective means for changing a baby. This is achieved by enabling multiple configurations of the baby changing system with protective walls. The baby changing system with protective walls in the travel configuration as represented in FIG. 3 fulfills the purpose of providing a portable means for changing a baby. The use of flexible materials, such as nylon and antimicrobial materials in conjunction with rigid materials for example polypropylene sheets, wires and fasteners, to construct the baby changing system with protective walls enables the baby changing mat (FIG. 1:120) and protective walls (FIG. 1:140:141) to be flexible and folded such that the baby changing system with protective walls is compactable and be enabled to be placed into a small tote as shown in FIG. 5.

The baby changing system with protective walls in the deployed configuration as represented in FIG. 1 fulfills the purpose of providing a protective means for changing a baby. Attaching at least one and most preferably two protective walls (140) and (141) as represented in FIG. 1 of the present embodiment to the baby changing mat (120) of the baby changing system (100) restricts the ability of the baby to reach beyond the area of the baby changing mat (120) as such area may be dirty. In one preferred embodiment of the deployed configuration of FIG. 1, the baby changing system with protective walls (100) is deployed for changing a baby. The baby changing system with protective walls (100) and a baby changing mat (120), are both are constructed from pliable protective material. The pliable protective material can be fabricated out of: fabric, polyester, cotton, wool, vinyl, polyurethane, plastic, silicone, rubber, fleece, sherpa, hemp, bamboo, PUL or nylon whereby these pliable protective materials may also be coated with a water resistant or anti-bacterial substance such as silica, polyurethane laminate, or a silver-ion based antimicrobial topical textile treatment as disclosed by Green et al. in US Patent Application No. US2003/0204916 titled TEXTILES HAVING A WASH-DURABLE SILVER-ION BASED ANTIMICROBIAL TOPICAL TREATMENT, that is stitched together in a method that forms a hidden seam which is a method of joining two pieces of fabric so that the stitch thread is not visible. Soft batting is inserted between the layers to form the baby changing mat (120). Furthermore, the hidden seam which reduces the likelihood of retaining moisture when compared to a traditional seam which traps moister and bacteria. The shape and the size of the baby changing mat (120) can vary with a preferred shaping being rectangular and size ranging from 3 square feet to 6 square feet. Additionally, pockets (128) may be attached along the distal edge (125) of the baby changing mat (120) and extend inward may be stitched to provide a place for diapers, lotion, and even the compacted protective walls (140) and (141). Although pockets may be included on the walls (140) and (141) or on the baby changing mat (120), the preferred embodiment does not include pockets due to their increased ability to harbor germs. Along the proximal edge (121) of the baby changing mat (120) includes an attachment means (130) such as a zipper or Velcro and most preferably snaps, that is used to perpendicularly attach the protective walls (140) and (141) to the proximal edge (121) and the primary edge (122) of the baby changing mat (120). The protective walls (140) and (141) extend and attach along at least 30 percent to the proximal (121) and primary edge (122) respectively to create an attachment area that restricts the baby from touching surfaces beyond the baby changing mat (120), with 60 to 80 percent being the preferred attachment area. The distal edge (125) and the secondary edge (126) of the baby changing mat (120) are purposefully left open and unobstructed to enable access for changing the baby. Additionally, a strap (127) is attached to the secondary edge (126) for securing the baby changing system with protective walls (100) when in the travel configuration.

In the present embodiment of FIG. 1 of the invention, the protective walls (140) and (141) of the baby changing system (100) are rectangular in shape and constructed from pliable protective materials such as fabric or nylon that is stitched to cover a polypropylene sheet or wire that extends around the edge of the pliable protective materials- to form the rectangular shaped protective wall (140) and (141). Near the bottom edge of the protective walls (140) and (141) includes an attachment means (130) which is complementary to the attachment means (130) of the baby changing mat (120) such that the attachment means (130) of the baby changing mat (120) and the attachment means (130) of the protective walls (140) and (141) securely attach to each other. The attachment means (130) can be a zipper, snaps, magnets, buttons or a track. The attachment means (130) of the protective wall (140) or (141) is attached near the bottom edge of the protective wall (140) or (141), leaving between 2 percent and 20 percent of the protective wall's (140) or (141) total area to reside below the attachment means (130) thereby forming a support base (FIG. 2:210).

As further represented in FIG. 2 the purpose of the support base (210) is to provide rigidity and to restrict swaying and the movement of the protective walls (220) and (not shown) such that they stay relatively perpendicular to the baby changing mat (230) and relatively perpendicular to each other.

In the travel configuration of FIG. 3, the baby changing system with protective walls (300) is compacted, rolled up and secured in a pouch FIG. 5. In one of the embodiments of the travel configuration as represented in FIG. 3, the protective walls (FIG. 1:140) and (FIG. 1:141) are detached from the baby changing mat (FIG. 1:120), folded and placed in a tote (FIG. 5). Alternatively, the protective walls (FIG. 1:140) and (FIG. 1:141) may remain attached with the baby changing mat (FIG. 1:120), such that they do not restrict the pliability of the baby changing mat (FIG. 1:120). The baby changing mat (FIG. 1:120) is then folded in half and rolled inwardly onto itself starting from the primary edge (FIG. 1:122) and continuing to the secondary edge (FIG. 1:126) of the folded baby changing mat (FIG. 1:120). Once folded, the baby changing system with protective walls (300) is then secured with the strap (310) or with Velcro that enables one to easily carry and store the baby changing system with protective walls (300).

FIG. 4 represents another embodiment whereby the walls (440) and (441) respectively are permanently attached. In this embodiment the walls (440) and (441) are enabled to fold downward for storage. When deployed the walls (440) and (441) reside perpendicularly to the baby changing mat (420). In the present embodiment, the baby changing mat (420) further includes a protective wall securing device (not shown) that removably secure a protective wall to an exterior surface. The protective wall securing devices can consist of suction cups or any other securing device enabled to temporarily secure a protective wall to an exterior surface.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention is realized when at least one protective wall (640) which may or may not be attached to the baby changing mat is used to restrict the baby's ability to reach potentially contaminated areas (664). In this embodiment, the at least one protective wall (640) is held up by removably attaching the at least one protective wall (640) to an external surface (664) via suction cups (665) or adhesive.

The steps to change the configuration of the baby changing system with protective walls from the deployed configuration FIG. 1 to the travel configuration FIG. 3 as outlined herein are meant to represent the key innovation of the baby changing system with protective walls. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A baby changing system comprising of: a mat; and at least one protective wall.
 2. A baby changing system of claim 1, further comprising of: a travel configuration; or a deployed configuration.
 3. A baby changing system of claim 1, wherein the at least one protective wall restricts the baby from touching surfaces external to the baby changing system.
 4. A baby changing system of claim 1, wherein the mat includes pockets.
 5. A baby changing system of claim 2, that further comprises of a strap for securing the travel configuration.
 6. A baby changing system of claim 1, whereby the at least one protective wall is foldable for storage.
 7. A baby changing system that consists of: a mat; at least two protective walls; and a support base.
 8. A baby changing system of claim 7, wherein the support base secures the protective walls.
 9. A baby changing system of claim 7, further comprising of: a travel configuration; and a deployed configuration.
 10. A baby changing system of claim 7, wherein the at least two protective walls restrict the baby from touching surfaces external to the baby changing system.
 11. A baby changing system of claim 7, wherein the mat includes pockets.
 12. A baby changing system comprising of: a mat, made of pliable protective material; at least one pliable protective wall, made of pliable protective material.
 13. A baby changing system of claim 11, whereby the pliable protective material is fabricated from at least one of the following: fabric, polyester, cotton, wool, vinyl, polyurethane, plastic, silicone, rubber, fleece, sherpa, hemp, bamboo, PUL or nylon whereby these pliable protective materials may also be coated with a water resistant or anti-bacterial substance such as silica, polyurethane laminate, or a silver-ion based antimicrobial topical textile treatment.
 14. A baby changing system comprising of: a mat, made of pliable protective material; at least one pliable protective wall, made of pliable protective material; and whereby the mat includes securing means for securing the mat to a table. 